As a young attorney it was customary to take appointed cases.  The theory is that you gain much needed experience and learn how to handle clients.  As you can imagine, most of the hardened criminal types have much more experience than their young attorney.  Moreover, they have almost nothing to lose and like to take impossible cases to the brink of trial to see if the "deal" gets any better.  Sometimes they are right.  I loved the time I spent as an appointed attorney and learned a great deal. Here is a typical conversation that takes place at the jail the night before trial:

ME: "But they have you on video from two angles shoving the meat down your pants."

DEFENDANT: "I don't give a shit, they can't prove that I'm the guy on the camera."

ME: "That would be a valid defense if you weren't detained by the store security guard.  The same guard that arrested you last time you stole from this store."

DEFENDANT: "He's a prick who just wants to see me rot in jail."

ME: "You confessed to him and unloaded the meat on his desk."

DEFENDANT: "I was coerced! Why can't we get his records. He's done this to other people."

ME: "He seemed ok to me.  All he wanted was restitution for the meat."

DEFENDANT:  "Why should I pay restitution.  They got their meat back."

ME: "If you go to trial and lose you'll get extra time in jail."

DEFENDANT: "It's not me hot shot... it's us.  I get the jail time and you get the loss.  Besides, it's winter and they are about to shut off my heat."